Jeremy Matlow remembers lying in bed hungry as a child — too hungry to get out of bed to start his day.

He remembers the relief upon hearing the growl of his mom's car pull into the driveway on the first of the month. It meant it was food-stamp day.

"I was raised by a single mother. I was raised in poverty," said the local pizza shop entrepreneur, who grew up in Tallahassee's south side. "On that day, that sound was like a dinner bell. It meant we were going to get to eat."

Alongside Matlow, who is running for a city commission seat, and Commissioner District 3 John Dailey, who is running for mayor, joined community leaders gathered Wednesday at Second Harvest Food Bank to announce the launch of the Tallahassee Food Challenge. Sponsored by local businesses, the initiative asks locals to donate food goods at multiple drop off donations to "fill a bowl" for hungry kids in Leon County.

With the end of the school year approaching, giving now is especially important — as many children may lack access to school-based food assistance programs for the summer, said Brien Sorne, campaign coordinator.

Close to 20 percent of Leon County residents are struggling with poverty, according to latest U.S. Census estimates. The local Second Harvest Food Bank reports 1 in 4 children and 1 in 6 adults are hungry.

The food bank distributes enough food to feed about 55,000 people per month, according to director Rick Minor. That number only fulfills "half of the need" in the area.

"We never have enough," said Mary Dekle, director of philanthropy at at Second Harvest Food Bank.

Canned goods and other shelf-stable items like apple sauce, nuts and pasta can be donated at Second Harvest Food Bank on Entrepot Drive, or other drop-off locations such as Catholic Charities on Blountstown Highway or Midtown Pies.

Tallahassee residents and businesses interested in making a positive difference in the community have the opportunity to participate in the 2018 Summer Fill-A-Truck food and fund drive, taking place now through May 10. The annual event, which benefits Second Harvest of the Big Bend, is held in partnership with AMWAT Moving Warehousing & Storage and seeks to provide food to families, individuals and children in need.

The drive will culminate with a final weigh-in and donation count on Thursday, May 10, at the Tallahassee Democrat, where AMWAT moving trucks will be filled with food donations. During this event, the public is invited to drop off food and fund donations between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. To learn more about Second Harvest, volunteer at an upcoming event or make a food or monetary donation, visit www.FightingHunger.org.

Reach Nada Hassanein at nhassanein@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @nhassanein_.

CORRECTION

In an earlier version of this story, a Second Harvest official provided an inaccurate number of meals distributed per month. The food bank distributes enough food to feed about 55,000 people, and the group distributes about 610,000 meals per month to various agencies, according to director Rick Minor.